Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-19
CITY AND DISTRICT.

CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE COCOONs AND THE TREES.
WAas the Authorities Are Doing tn
Head Off the Caterpillaxs.
fHH PARKING COMMISSION Using wHrrEwAsH. BIT
WILLING TO RECEIVE srGGEsTroNs-cor- Wilson'S
VIGOROUS WAR ON TEE cocooNs-rHE cATEgpI-
LARS NOT RXPRcTED IN GREAT NuNBERs
Speaking OF the caterpillar cocoons Mr.. VIM. r.
Smith superintendent OF the Botanical, gardens
and president Of the Parking commission OF the
city, said 10 q STAR reporter: 81 would be very
gladr any one would tell us not what we ought
70 do but how to do it-nos told you So but the
means by which we are to get forever nd of the
cocoons and the caterpfllars. The parking COM
missaon-both Mr.. Saunders and myself-wfn be
pleased TO receive any sensible suggestion. I am
glsd that ,nai the matter Is beng agitated We 90
The parking commission Is in earnest in this mat
ter Il Is not likely, II what Prof. Riley says Is
they did last year, for, he says there is parasite
attacking and killing the cocoons. what are we
ooingf NOW these cocoons are not In the trees
only. they are under the roof copings OF houses
and other places Ike that. Why! scraped some
the other day off from one Of the doorso my ONCE
THAT had not been used for long time. 1t IL not
In the trees alone that we have to look for them.
The places where the most cocoOnS are found are
In the tree-poxes. / counted over two hundred in
one tree-box- Last year the tree that they
struck first, and TO which they did most damage,
was the ash-leaved maple. We have had
the tree boxes removed from these trees and from
Others. j, this morning, ordered that the boxes
be replaced about the elmS and other trees which
are liable 20 permanent injury from the biting OF
horses We are whitewashing the tree boxes
that remain and whitew ashing the stems OF the
trees In the scaly barks OF trees many insects
make their homes. At this time the remedy is line
The cocoons are killed by lime and we are using
that The lime, too, is good for the general health
Of the trees When the moths are Matched and
cYfrnf m - fnt1 flldr
They ny by night, when even the sparrows are
not around, and lay their eggs In safety. Now we
means to nd the trees OF the pest. If any one
VIII suggest a better way we will be glad TO
try It. Last year man went to the District Com
took two men TO work IT, and two pounds OF poison
Gus mixture TO tree. 1t would cost about dol
You have 10000 or 20 600 trees to deal With, that
would bring the entire cost up to pretty stiff
ngurc. But II that seems TO be the best way, we
would be willing TO try that. 1t Is something like
catching birds by first putting salt their tails"
As Mr.. Smith walked through the botanical gar
low building, and looking under the cave trough
said, "There. there Is one OF em now" He pointed
TO little whitish object in groove in the wood
white marked tussock moth the creature whose
brood Of caterpillars devastated the trees last
spring and fall-for there are two broOds year.
"Yo1 have TO look for the cocoons," he said, Sin
such places Is that
COL WILSON'S WAR ON TIE WORMS.
"a great deal can be done now TO prevent dam
age to our shade trees from the caterpillar pests
said Colonel Wilson, the commissioner of pubic
buildings and grounds, In reply to STAR report
er's inquiries Il know 1t from experience" he
continued. "Last year had a force of men care
fully examine the trees In all the parks and knock
on the cocoons which cling TO the branches. These
cOcOOnS were gathered up and burned up. think
from ten TO fifteen bushels were so destroyed
Later In the season, when the caterpillarS
were stripping the trees of their verdure IT, you
condition an
then looked at those on the sidewalks, you would
have seen how much less the PARK trees suffered.
nave now force OF men doing the very same thing,
and they ordered not only 10 clear the trees
cOcOOnS but TO examine very carefully in and about
away. am no entomologist," continued Col.
wilson, "and do not undertake TO settle the dis
puted question whether the animals are Matched on
the trees OF ON the ground after the cocoons have
dropped on TO crawl up the trees later. / know
this much, though, that If the cocoons are
moved from the trees the caterpiiars cannot be
Matched on the trees. and if the eocoons are
gathered from the ground and destroyed, the
caterpillars will never be able to crawl up the
trees OF course. IL would be impossible 10 get
lid Of the pests entirely In this way for some Of
the eggs would escape destruction even with the
greatest care; but I am satisfied If every house
holder would make ii point to clear the trees In
front OF his residence from the cocoonS hanging TO
the branches as well as the front steps and fences
and destroy them, the damage to the trees this
year Will not be anything Ike as great as it was
Q year ago This can easily be done now before
the trees bud or are In leaf"
"Here Is one Of the internal things said Col.
wilson, taking cocoon rom little box and
tearing 1t open. "You can see how many embryo
caterptIlars are destroyed every time cocoon is
destroyed" The cocoon reSembled a fuzzy tassel,
and In the inside was a dark, shell-like core
which, upon being broken open, sent forth a
peculiar odor, AMI exposed TO view large number of
eggs nearly the size OF shad roe. The eggs were
son, and upon being mashed left grease-like
spot. 1T doesn't make any difference how the
caterpfllars that come from these eggs get on the
trees" said Col Wilson, 'myriads OF them can be
prevented from ever getting there at all II the
residents Of washington, as well as officials will
land Q hand In destroying them now"